The Colorado Hunting Guide

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Elk & deer success rates

Statewide in the 2025 season, over-the-counter elk hunters succeeded at roughly 11% (archery, either-sex), 19% (2nd rifle, bull) and 12% (3rd rifle, bull) — but that statewide blend hides a huge unit-by-unit range, from single digits to over 50%. There is no single "Colorado elk success rate"; the honest number is whatever your specific unit and hunt code posted, which CPW publishes every spring. CPW · 2025 Elk Harvest Estimates

Statewide OTC elk success, 2025 season

Statewide over-the-counter elk harvest, 2025 season — all OTC hunt codes combined, statewide.
OTC method (statewide)Elk harvestedHuntersSuccess rate
Archery, either-sex (eligible units)1,0769,54111.3%
2nd rifle, bull4,55823,66819.3%
3rd rifle, bull2,09617,37112.1%

These three rows are every over-the-counter elk hunt code in the state, added together — so they're a real, honest headline number, but they average away units that ran far above or below it. Which units are still OTC determines which pool you're actually hunting in.

Success varies enormously by unit

CPW's harvest report breaks elk success down by Data Analysis Unit (DAU) — a group of neighboring GMUs sharing a herd (see GMUs, explained for how DAUs and GMUs relate). In the 2025 season, DAU-level elk success ranged from 8-10% in some of the state's most heavily hunted, easiest-to-draw areas up to 50-62% in a handful of lower-pressure DAUs. CPW · 2025 Elk Harvest Estimates That spread is the entire point of the "best units" question — high success numbers usually come from units with far fewer tags and hunters, which is exactly what makes them harder to draw.

Deer success rates

Colorado does not run a comparable statewide over-the-counter deer program — OTC deer licenses are limited mainly to white-tailed deer in specific units, not the mule deer hunting most people mean. CPW · OTC licenses Nearly all deer hunting is limited license, and because CPW sets each hunt code's tag quota close to what the herd can support, published deer success tends to run higher than OTC elk and swings widely by hunt code — in the 2025 season, individual limited deer hunt codes ranged from the 20s-40s up past 80%. CPW · 2025 Deer Harvest Estimates There is no single deer number worth quoting; look up your specific hunt code.

How to read CPW's own harvest reports

Every big-game species' statistics page on cpw.state.co.us carries a "Harvest" tab with reports going back to 2019. Two tables matter:

Find them at the elk statistics page (or the deer equivalent), under the species' own "Statistics" section — CPW · Elk statistics CPW · Deer statistics — and always check which season's report you're reading; CPW posts the finalized report the following spring.

Common questions

What percentage of hunters get an elk in Colorado?

For the 2025 season, statewide over-the-counter elk success was about 11% for archery (either-sex), 19% for 2nd rifle (bull), and 12% for 3rd rifle (bull) — but individual units ranged from under 10% to over 50%. There is no single accurate answer without naming a unit and season.

What is a good elk hunting success rate in Colorado?

Statewide OTC elk success sits in the 11-19% range depending on method, so anything meaningfully above that in a specific unit is strong for an over-the-counter hunt. Limited (draw) units can run much higher, which is the trade-off the "best units" page walks through.

Is CPW's 'Harvest Success Rates' page a statewide number?

No — that specific CPW page is scoped to the Ranching for Wildlife program's private-ranch listings, not a statewide hunter success rate. The statewide and per-unit numbers live in the species' Harvest Reports instead.

Are deer success rates higher than elk in Colorado?

Often yes, for limited deer hunt codes — because CPW caps deer license quotas close to what a herd can support, published success frequently runs well above OTC elk's 11-19%. But deer success varies just as widely by hunt code, so check the specific one you're applying for.

Primary sources

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